Hong Kong Inflation Rises In March

Hong Kong's annual inflation accelerated as expected for March, the Census and Statistics Department said Monday.

The composite consumer price index rose 4.9 percent year-on-year in March, in line with expectations, up from 4.7 percent in February.

Netting out the effects of all government's one-off relief measures, underlying inflation was 5.6 percent, also larger than that the 5.4 percent in February.

Looking ahead, with imported inflation gradually receding upon the peaking of global food and commodity prices last year and with a slowing local economy, inflation should come down further in the period ahead, a government spokesman said.